YSU seniors place first at national honors conference in Seattle

Two seniors from Youngstown State University’s Honors College placed first at the 51st Annual Conference of the National Collegiate Honors Council in Seattle, Wash.

Mariah DeFuria and Elizabeth Rogenski, both University Scholars at YSU, presented in student research poster sessions.

DeFuria, an Austintown native and Chemistry major at YSU, placed first in the Environmental Science, Conservation and Green Technology category. Her presentation, "Perfluorinated Metal Organic Frameworks for Use in Water Remediation via Pi-Pi Stacking Interactions," detailed her research on a process that treats polluted groundwater for human consumption using perfluorinated metal-organic frameworks.

“I couldn’t be more proud of Mariah and her accomplishments. Her work on water remediation has inspired many offshoot projects that we will be exploring for years to come,” said Douglas Genna, assistant professor, Chemistry, who worked with DeFuria.

Rogenski of Poland, Ohio, Mechanical Engineering and Physics/Astronomy double major, placed first for Outstanding Student Poster in Business, Engineering and Computer Science for her presentation, "3D Scanning of Metal Parts Produced by Selective Laser Melting." Her research focused on the use of 3D scans to analyze additive-manufactured parts for post-process machining.

“Libby is a wonderful student to work with,” said Brett Conner, associate professor and director, Mechanical and Industrial Engineering, “and she works to balance her academics with athletics—a great representation of what it means to be an Honors student.”

In all, 14 students from the Honors College were selected to present at the annual conference along with Director Amy Cossentino, who gave a faculty presentation on strategies in developing a thriving honors community. The YSU group was among nearly 2,000 students and faculty from more than 500 institutions to attend.

“Our students have been accepted to present at the NCHC conference for almost a decade now, through a highly competitive selection process,” said Cossentino. “It’s a great opportunity for them to go through the proposal process, perfect their presentation skills and share ideas with other honors students from across the country and, in recent years, around the world.”

Along with DeFuria and Rogenski, the following students presented research at the conference:

• Samantha Anderson of Poland, senior finance and business economics double major: “The Financial Implications of Healthcare Mandates on Small Businesses in Ohio.”
• Rayann Atway of Boardman, junior biology/pre-med major: “Antibody Production Directed Against Type 5 and Type 8 Staphylococcus aureus.”
• Leah Bayer of Brookfield, sophomore mathematics and biology double major, and Robert Voland of North Jackson, Ohio, sophomore chemistry/pre-pharmacy and math double major, co-presented “Rebuilding a Better City.”
• Megan Evans of Boardman, senior English, linguistics and sociology triple major: “The Debilitating Effects of Socioeconomic Status Among Elementary School Students.”
• Greta Frost of North Jackson, Ohio, senior political science major: “An Assessment of the U.S. Agency for International Development’s Assistance to Morocco and its Effect on the Moroccan Education System.”
• Madeline Grimes of Vienna, Ohio, junior Business ICP major: “Validation of Symphony Orchestras in the Twenty-First Century: A Tri-City Evaluation Through Financial, Socioeconomic, and Marketing Technique Analysis.”
• Natalie Halavick of Vienna, Ohio, junior mathematics major: “Analyzing Historic Crime and Neighborhood Stabilization in Youngstown, Ohio.”
• Katina Landgraff of Washington, Pa., senior human resource management major: “Applying Human Resource Management Concepts and Practices to Increase Productivity, Efficiency, and Overall Impact of Student Organizations on College Campuses.”
• Andrew Morgan of Vienna, Ohio, senior electrical engineering and computer science double major: “3D Printing in a First-Year Engineering Design Project.”
• Tyler Pabst of Austintown, senior chemistry major: “Transition Metal-Mediated CO2 Activation for the Synthesis of Industrial Carbon Feedstocks.”
• Lexi Rager of Bristolville, Ohio, sophomore math education major: “Fall Immersion: An In-Depth View of an Honors College for Prospective Students.”

Photo Caption: YSU Honors students who presented at the 2016 NCHC conference. Top row, from left: Greta Frost, Lexi Rager, Robert Voland, Andrew Morgan, Tyler Pabst, Natalie Halavick. Bottom row, from left: Leah Bayer, Elizabeth Rogenski, Samantha Anderson, Rayann Atway, Megan Evans, Madeline Grimes, Mariah DeFuria, Katina Landgraff.